Features
4 Jul 18

GM built largest charging station for fleet of self-driving taxis in San Francisco

In a parking garage in San Francisco, General Motors has built one of the largest charging stations in the United States, boasting 18 chargers. Bloomberg reports the charging stations will serve GM's Cruise self-driving taxi service it is hoping to launch next year.

GM's self-driving cars are heavily modified Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles. The charging station location has been chosen as it is a popular spot for ride-hailing services.

Take on Uber and Lyft

General Motors has been planning to take on ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft for some time, but it hasn't disclosed where the service would start or whether they would work with a partner. Today, those questions appear to have been answered: in San Francisco, and they will go it alone.

However, a GM spokesperson has told Bloomberg that the car maker is still working towards commercialising its self-driving car service and the company hasn't decided whether to own the business or find partners. He also declined to comment on the location.

Top priority

Cruise was acquired by GM in 2016 and has been a top priority for CEO Mary Barra ever since. Earlier this year, a Japanese investment fund bought a 19.6% stake in the company, providing it with additional funds to prepare a large-scale launch.

Cruise isn't the only GM venture outside of traditional car making. Its Maven car-sharing division rents Chevrolet Bolts to Lyft and Uber drivers, providing the company with invaluable insights into using electric vehicles for commercial fleets.

Free of charge

Most autonomous vehicles that are being tested on public roads, like those used by Uber, have human drivers on board to intervene if the self-driving systems cannot cope (even though those drivers don't always prevent accidents). Uber, however, is planning to use vehicles without a steering wheel and pedals although the Californian authorities still need to give their green light for the service to forgo the safety driver.

GM is also trying to get permission to charge passengers for rides, something the California Public Utilities Commission doesn't usually allow for autonomous ride-hailing services.

Image: Cruise autonomous vehicle without steering wheel and pedals (source: GM)

Authored by: Benjamin Uyttebroeck